On the west bank of the Indus lies Moenjodaro, the “Mound of the Dead” — an archaeological site rated among the most spectacular of the world’s ancient cities.
One of the earliest and most developed urban civilizations, Moenjodaro flourished from the third to the middle of the second millennium B.C., when it vanished, leaving only traces of its culture. Together with Harappa, it formed part of the Indus Valley civilization.
The city was identified in the 1920s and excavated under Sir John Marshall. Its ruins have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1980, and much of the city still lies unexcavated beneath the surrounding mounds.
Is Moenjodaro right for you?
- Suggested time
- 1 day, from Sukkur or Larkana
- Activity level
- Easy walking around the excavated city
- Best for
- Archaeology and the Indus civilization
- When to go
- November to February. Summer temperatures here are among the highest in Pakistan.
Combines well withSukkurRohriKarachi
Compare Moenjodaro with another destination →Places to see
Urban planning
Main thoroughfares some 300 feet wide, crossed by straight streets forming regular blocks — planning of a remarkably high order.
Engineering
An elaborate covered drainage system, soak pits, a state granary, a possible palace, and a citadel mound with burnt-brick towers.
The Great Bath
An open quadrangle with verandahs on four sides, galleries and rooms, and a large bathing pool perhaps used for ceremonial bathing.
Built for safety
The mud-brick and baked-brick houses were designed so that in an earthquake the walls would collapse outwards, sparing their occupants.
The Buddhist stupa
Crowning the citadel mound, a brick stupa built some two thousand years after the city was abandoned — the landmark of the site.
Site museum
Seals, pottery, ornaments, tools and toys found in the excavations, giving a picture of daily life in the city.
Good to know
- Getting there
- Moenjodaro is in Larkana district, about 28 km from Larkana town, and is usually visited by road from Sukkur or Larkana.
- When to go
- November to February. Summer temperatures here are among the highest in Pakistan.
- Visiting the site
- Allow at least half a day to walk the citadel and the lower town, and start early to avoid the midday sun.
Header photo: The stupa mound — Saqib Qayyum, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons